Parliament Passes Motion On Information Access

Gothataone Moeng | Monday February 17, 2014 16:50

The notion was moved by the MP for Shoshong, Phillip Makgalemele, who said the distribution of the state-owned daily and availing radio network to the communities should be part of affirmative action as a way of broadening access to timely information.

He argued that access to information is a right, and rural communities who do not have access to newspapers and other media, are denied the right. He said not having timely access to news media prevents people in rural communities from knowing government policies and job opportunities.

The legislator argued that the responsibility of distributing the Daily News should not just be placed on the government. He suggested collaboration between government and private transporters to distribute the newspapers. He said the private transporters can take the paper to places where government vehicles may not reach. He recommended that bus companies should transport the newspapers as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. Makgalemele acknowledged that the government is under-resourced and restrained from widely distributing the paper.

Letlhakeng West MP, Ngaka Ngaka, supported the motion because his constituency is affected by lack of access to the Daily News and radio coverage.

He said the Daily News arrives in his constituency due to bad roads. He said the malfunction communication towers make radio transmission difficult in his constituency.

South East South MP, Odirile Motlhale, said that without equal access to information, the playing field is not level and therefore, there is unequal access to opportunities. He said without timely distribution of information, the country is at risk of not achieving the Vision 2016 pillar of an Informed and Educated Nation.

Meanwhile, Parliament passed another Makgalemele-sponsored motion to adopt the Japanese development model of ‘One Village, One Product’ as a strategy for boosting rural economic growth.